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Sales and BD Job Seekers, You Need a Social Footprint

Candace Webb recently posted on the value of creating an online profile for college student (Link below) and how it can help with their inevitable interview process. I liked the points she made and hope more than just students took note.

Specifically, having a social presence should be an even higher priority for sales and BD professionals.

As someone who is currently trying to hire a sales executive at our start up, the first thing I do when a resume crosses my desk is to Google Bing the person. At the very least she should have a Linkedin account. But, I am more impressed, and more likely to interview someone, when she has a more robust social footprint. Does she have an active Twitter account? Is she a blogger (ideally with Zemanta installed)? Does she have her own branded site? Does she comment on other industry sites? Is she a Meetup member, attending events? etc.

Why are these important?

Hiring is not easy. Unlike large companies, making mistakes in hiring, can set a start up back. Finding the right people, especially for a start up is a long process and the more I know about the person, the more confident I am offering her a job. And, in my opinion, successful sales and BD folks in the tech world need to be able to navigate different social platforms. The ones who can, generally, will succeed in sales.

A social footprint also lets me know you are curious about the world and technology. Its means you have a desire to know. And curious people generally make good business people. They are not content with status quo, pushing boundaries, looking to expand their knowledge base.

Successful sales and business development professionals are generally social people who can get along with a wide variety of people. A social footprint, is just that – social. Let me know that you have personality and can interact with others on Twitter.

Having a social profile online is optional. We all have the choice to post as little or as much as we like online. For college students, as Candace notes, “creating a social presence can help you create a name for yourself without leaving your dorm.”

For sales and business development professionals in the tech space, a social footprint can separate you from the pack when it comes to getting a job with a start up.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Candace Webb, a social media practitioner who explores how social media impacts college students at DegreeJungle.com. Social media connects persons from every part of the world including underclassmen in today’s universities.